12/10
In Jesus Christ we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace. Ephesians 1: 7
Forgiven Sinner
Believers in Christ have, by faith, God's vitalities. Their spirits and actions should at least resemble Christ, who is the Chief of the Heavenly Nation, of which the citizen is a little Christ. To put it another way, the citizens of the Heavenly Nation are sinners forgiven. They are never the persons of virtue, moralists, philanthropists, nor theologians. Neither are they millionaires nor peers. But they are the person, who repented their sins, confessed before God, and attained God's salvation, transforming to a new creation. These are, in fact, the citizens of the Heavenly Nation in Christianity.
12/11
I have trodden the wine-press alone; and of the people there was none with me; for I will tread them in my anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my clothing. Isaiah 63: 3
Friend of Heart
We are solitary but not isolated. We have many friends since we are solitary. What is solitary? It is to make one's heart a friend. One who makes one's heart a friend is the friend of every person who makes one's heart a friend. One who seeks friends in the social intercourse has merely limited number of friends at a party. But one who seeks a friend in one's heart is a friend of the universe. Every person who sorrows in the heart, pursues the ideal of the heart, serves God in the heart, and is saved by the Lord in the heart is our friend. True friendship is spiritual and of the heart.
12/12
Now you also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that you have put off the old person with your deeds; And have put on the new person, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Christ that created you; Colossians 3: 8-10
Son of God
A person by nature cannot be God's child; but a person by the faith of Christ is made God's child . One by nature cannot be incorruptible; but one becomes incorruptible only by the eternal life of Christ: "Because I live, you shall live also" (John 14:19). Human is nothing; God is everything. Human is a precious being only because he or she can know of one's worthless and then can live with God.
12/13
I beseech you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service. Romans 12: 1
Everyday Christianity
There is a feast for Christians: their daily life. This is a feast that Christians worship God with a life of holy and righteous love, and not with rituals and offerings. Who can call Christianity a superstition? Who can please God by mere claim to worship God or by complicate observances of rituals, without deed of daily life? Paul's words turn rituals into religious practice. He preaches religious and ethical life at the same time.
12/14
Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them; for the LORD is your God, He goes with you; He will not fail you, nor forsake you. Deuteronomy 31: 6
Be a Hero
Above all things, be a hero. Say No when you must say No, and Yes when you must say Yea. Be not afraid of the faces of humans. They can never be stronger than God; and if they rush you, God will crush them. The strongest of humans is a shadow, soon to pass away and no more. You are afraid of ghosts when you scared of humans; and are you not veritable cowards, you who shrink from speaking plain truth before them? Be specially heroic in confessing Jesus Christ before heathens and unbelievers. Know that after all Jesus is the Conqueror, and that His adversaries, be they religionists, statesmen or plutocrats, are like bats and moles hiding in the clefts of rocks "when He arises to shake terribly the earth" (Isaiah 2:21).
12/15
Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of human; but holy persons of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 1:20-21
Book of God
The Bible is a book of God. God's nature, God's will, God's power, and God's mercy are most clearly and most faithfully written in the Bible. Some books may describe these issues; but none make known God to us so vividly, like looking up to the sun without a tint of ambiguity, as the Bible. The Bible does not start with "Thus I heard" but with "God said." The Bible does not try to prove God's existence, but says "In the beginning was God." Not only has the Bible an intuitive style but, in revealing the truth, it manipulates nothing to reason or imagination. Nobody has seen God face to face; but the writers of the Scriptures were constantly inspired in mind with direct touch of God. To know God, therefore, we have no alternative but to rely on the Bible.
12/16
The Spirit helps our infirmities. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And He searching the hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. Romans 8:26-27
Essence of Prayer
I do not pray myself, but let the Spirit pray for me. The Spirit, dwelling within me, pray through me the will of God, often with groanings that cannot be uttered. This is my true prayer. Philosophically incomprehensible but experimentally true, this prayer of the Spirit praying to God through and in His children. It is my prayer because I let the Spirit do it for me. This prayer is acceptable in the sight of God and is sure to be heard precisely because its contents are not my wishes and desires but His holy will. Renunciation of self is necessary for prayer even when addressing God for help. We must pray God that He may pray for us.
12/17
In returning and rest shall you be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength. Isaiah 30:15
Trust Lord Silently
Quietly, yea, in silence, and without restless striving, rely on God and wait His instruction and salvation. You will then get strength, then be stronger, then be able to conquer your foes, and then be saved. When I am exposed to arrows of enmity, when whole nations oppress me, when I stand alone like a lamb among wolves; I have simply to keep quiet, expect all deliverance by God, let Him be my strong tower of defence, my guard and my weapon. I am weak, but He is strong. With Him, I am stronger than the whole world. Salvation rests with Jehovah. Pray, Father, Your mercy be upon Your people.
12/18
The Father has made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light; He has delivered us from the power of darkness, and has turned us into the Nation of his dear Son; In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:12-14
My Experiment
Forgiveness of Sin is not my thought of meditation, not my doctrine of belief, and not my creed of confession, but my experiment. Forgiveness of sin is the cause of my salvation and the cornerstone of my faith. Without it, my faith is in vain and I am still in the bondage of sin. I am saved not by my good deeds, not by my repentance, and even not by my faith, but by the abolishment of sin which God achieved through Christ. Salvation is not on my side at all; it is altogether on the other side. Salvation does not depend on my psychic state, but it is the achievement of Christ, who died for me when I was still the midst of sin. Salvation is already achieved by Christ for me when I did not know. I just realized Christ's salvation and entered into it.
12/19
Our Father, who is in Heaven,
hallowed be Your name.
Your nation come,
Your will be done, as in Heaven,
so also on the earth.
Give us day by day our daily bread,
and forgive us our sins
so that we also forgive everyone
who commits sin to us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. Luke 11: 2-4
Prayer is Poetry
What we call prayer is not prayer at all. We do not pray because we are compelled to. God is Father of Love. He gives us all that we need, without our appeal, without waiting for our prayer. Prayer, as we take it, means spontaneous overflowing of our innermost heat. It means verbal expression of our sense of gratitude which cannot be held mute. Or it means tears crystallized out of sorrow which cannot be bound. This may be called poetry, if not a stumbling block to be called a prayer. A Christian prayer may well be defined to be poetry sung in the presence of God.
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